


Where It All Began

by AlexandraO



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Memories, POV Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 20:38:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13555143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandraO/pseuds/AlexandraO
Summary: After seeing a photo of her and husband on the mantle, Hermione recalls the night where it all began.





	Where It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All canon characters, plots, and situations from the Harry Potter series belongs to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this work. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine, and Grammarly is my beta. Written for Dramione Fanfiction Forum's Masquerade Fest. I hope you enjoy xx

**_February 2009_ **

 

“Darling, it’s time to go!” Hermione shouted up the stairs.

 

“Coming!” Draco called back. Hermione rolled her eyes. It would be another five minutes or longer before he made it downstairs. _Whose hair actually needed that much gel?_ She was still flabbergasted after all these years that she had married someone who spent more time on their hair than she did.

 

“Draco, we are going to be late!” she yelled once again as she walked over to the fireplace. She smiled and temporarily forgot her husband’s ridiculous antics when she saw the photos on the mantle. So many memories from over the years — their wedding, their children, their friends. She picked up one photo that captured where it all began — The Hogwarts Masquerade Ball in eighth year.

* * *

**_10 years prior, February 1999_ **

 

“Hermione stop fretting!” Ginny told her for the millionth time. “You look beautiful. No one is going to recognize you.”

 

“Gin!”

 

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I am just saying that you look a lot different than you normally do, especially your hair. Plus with the mask, you’ll be almost impossible to recognize.”

 

“Almost?” Hermione questioned, as she placed the mask on and applied a light sticking charm that wouldn’t harm her skin when removed.

 

“Well, yeah. When you speak your voice will give you away. Only someone who didn’t know you very well wouldn’t guess you right away.”

 

“Are you ready?” Hermione asked her friend.

 

“I just need to put on my mask as well. Help me?” Ginny said, holding on the white piece of fabric.

 

Hermione smiled and nodded. She took the mask out of Ginny’s hand and motioned for her to sit down. Hermione placed the mask on her friend’s face and quietly murmured the same sticking charm she used on hers.

 

Stepping back, she admired her handiwork. “You look gorgeous, Gin! You’re going to knock some socks off!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Nevermind. Muggle expression,” Hermione said. “Let’s go. We are already late!”

 

“Hermione, please. We are not late. The most important people arrive fashionably late.” Hermione just rolled her eyes. Merlin help the man that fell in love with Ginny Weasley.

 

They grabbed their wands and placed them in the holders underneath their dresses and started the long trek to the Great Hall from Gryffindor Tower.

 

_Meanwhile…._

 

“Draco! We are going to be late. Your hair looks fine,” Blaise said, watching the blonde run his fingers through his hair for the millionth time.

 

Draco just rolled his eyes. He was almost done anyways. He just needed to cover up his recognizable features with a mask. He had chosen a mask that covered half of his face, but it was likely useless — his hair would be recognizable anywhere.

 

“Stop whining and put on your mask, Zabini,” Draco told his friend as he put on his mask.

 

“Let’s go,” Draco said, taking one last look in the mirror.

 

It was a short walk from the Slytherin dungeons to the Great Hall where the ball was taking place. Draco and Blaise walked in silence, both worried about the ball, but not willing to admit it out loud.

 

With them being easily recognizable, but not being able to recognize others they were bound to get some hate. Their peers wouldn’t say anything to their face on a typical day, but now they could hide behind their masks. Before entering the hall, they looked at each other and nodded. Draco took a deep breath and walked in, his eyes scanning immediately for signs of potential trouble. He took it as a good sign that no one approached them as soon as they walked in. Unfortunately, it was short lived.

 

After they grabbed their punch from the refreshment table, a red-haired man marched over to them obviously fuming at their presence. Draco didn’t need to guess who it was. It was evident by the color of his hair.

 

“Weasley,” Draco said, attempting to keep the sneer out of his voice. He had tried to be civil all year long, and Weasley was the one who refused to accept that Draco and several other Slytherins were doing their best to make up for past mistakes.

 

“What are you two snakes doing here?” Ron growled.

 

“Attending the ball like everyone else,” Blaise said, taking another sip of his punch. Draco scanned the room for a professor in case this confrontation got out of hand. Seeing none, he turned back to his friend and the weasel.

 

“You don’t deserve to live,” Weasley spat. Draco brought his hand up to wipe the spit off his cheek.

 

Draco was close to losing it. If someone didn’t come to his rescue soon, he was going to end up expelled and sitting in a cell in Azkaban.

 

Weasley opened his mouth to say something more when Draco heard a shout from behind him.

 

“Ronald Weasley!” the witch shouted. Draco smirked. He could tell from her voice that it was Granger. His recent favorite pastime — watching her berate Weasley for his behavior and lack of tact.

 

Draco looked at Blaise with raised eyebrows and smirked. They stepped back a bit to stay out of the line of fire and refocused their attention on the show currently in progress.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you that they don’t deserve the hate you unnecessarily dish out? They did what they had to do during the war to survive just as we did.”

 

“But Hermione!”

 

“Don’t Hermione me! I am not your mother, and I should not have to step in every time to stop you from doing some stupid. I am especially tired of having to apologize to other people for your actions. We are sick of your shit Ronald!”

 

Draco watched in amazement as Granger’s hair crackled with magic, almost with an electric current. She kept waving her wand in Weasley’s face and after a few more minutes of arguing, Ron stormed out of the hall. Draco didn’t blame the bloke — Granger was scary as hell. He probably would have lost his precious jewels if he continued the argument.

 

Draco wasn’t surprised when the Weaslette and Granger made their way over to him and Blaise. She had made it a habit after every one of Ron’s comments to them and other Slytherins.

 

Blaise held up a hand as the Gryffindor’s approached. “Granger, Weasley,” he said, nodding. “No need to apologize for Weasel’s actions. It’s not your fault he is a major prick.”

 

Draco could have laughed as he watched both their shoulders sag in relief. No doubt it was exhausting always having to apologize for their so-called friend.

 

Draco turned away from a moment and grabbed two drinks from the table. “Here,” he said, handing them to the two women.

 

“Thanks, Malfoy,” they said in unison. Looking at each other, they just laughed.

 

The sound of Granger’s laugh went straight into his soul and lit up his cold heart. It was loud and hearty — not squeaky like some girls. It was a genuine laugh. He looked at Blaise and gestured with his head to the women.

 

Blaise nodded and set down his drink. “Miss Weasley,” he said, grasping her hand and kissing it. Draco rolled his eyes. Blaise was anything, but a gentleman, but he sure knew how to woo the ladies. “Would you like to dance?” Weaslette nodded, and Blaise walked her out to the dance floor. Looking back at Granger, she was watching her friend and Blaise dance…quite inappropriately he might add.

 

Draco cleared his throat. “So, uhm, Granger. Wouldyouliketodance?” He asked quickly, the words smashing together and coming out not at all like he planned.

 

“I’m sorry? I didn’t quite catch that,” she said, looking at him curiously. He shook his head. _Draco Malfoy, nervous? He couldn’t believe it._ He took a breath and spoke slowly and clearly. “Would you like to dance?” he asked, gesturing to the dance floor.

 

“Ooh, I would love to!” she said, excitedly setting her drink down. She held out her hand, and Draco grasped it, surprised that she took the initiative to touch him first.

 

The walked together out onto the dance floor as a slow song was playing. Like she had done it a hundred times, she placed her arms on his shoulders, clasping her hands behind his neck without hesitation. He was a little more nervous having to put his hands on her, but grit his teeth and put his hands on her hips, drawing her closer.

 

She blushed, and Draco grinned. This entire year he had spent regretting the past mistakes he had made since his first train ride to Hogwarts, including shunning the beautiful woman currently in his arms. How he ever said anything mean to her was beyond him. After getting to know her throughout the year and watching her come to his defense when Weasley cornered them, he was enamored with her.

 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.

 

“What a complete prat I’ve been over the years. Hermione…”

 

She interrupted him by pressing her index finger against his lips. “Now it’s my turn to tell you enough with the apologies. I forgive you,” she told him. “I forgave you a long time ago.”

 

“Thank you,” he whispered, placing his forehead against hers. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

 

She nodded and met him halfway. He moved his one hand to the back of her head and the other to her face, cupping her chin as he explored her mouth. They broke apart when they heard several wolf-whistles in the background. Hermione blushed, and Draco gave Blaise a warning look — he didn’t need the witch to feel more embarrassed than she already was. He had just kissed her in front of the entire school!

 

“Wow,” she said, touching her lips.

 

“Wow, indeed,” he replied, and he bent down and captured her lips once more.

* * *

 

**_February 2009_ **

 

“Babe,” she heard a voice in her ear. “You look lost in thought. What is it?”

 

“Oh nothing,” she said. “Just thinking about the start of our relationship.”

 

“I remember that night quite well,” Draco grinned, placing kisses down her neck onto her collarbone.

 

“If you keep doing that, we aren’t going to make it to the ball,” she whimpered.

 

He shrugged and whispered in her ear. “I’ll make this night even more forgettable than that first kiss you were daydreaming about, especially now since I can take you past first base.”

 

Hermione gasped as Draco kneeled in front of her and hiked her ballgown up her hips and dipped his head underneath placing kisses up her thighs.

 

_Oh, they definitely were not going to make it to the ball._


End file.
